Close to You
by Star0Dragon0Slayer
Summary: Natsu is back from his training after a whole year of being away. He expects the warm welcome from his Guild and friends but what he discovers isn't anything he ever imagined could happen. After the fight with Tartarous, the Guild broke up and went their separate ways leaving Lucy all alone. He left Lucy all alone. How could she even stand to look at him at all? One-Shot


**This is my first Fairy Tail one-shot! I'm excited to post it even if it isn't the best and on the shorter side. I didn't really agree with Natsu being so fine with finding out Lucy was alone for a year so it's a little angsty with him thinking about the effect it had.****Also, if you haven't done so already, check out my other story Lisanna's Lie!****Enjoy!**

This silver light of the moon shone softly through the window of Lucy's new apartment and onto a boy with pink hair. He lied on the couch with his two hands under his head for support as he thought. The unfamiliar room wasn't like her old place, but it did smell of Lucy which was a comfort to both Natsu and Happy. But the reason he still wasn't asleep even in the moonlit hours was not because of the unfamiliar place or uncomfortable couch, he had slept in many uncomfortable places in his lifetime, it was the thought of the disbandment of Fairy Tail. His first and only family after he lost Igneel.

He didn't want to believe they had broken up so easily after the _defeat _ofTartarous. They had won and things should have been good. He was counting on it, a thought that they could ever break up never even crossed his mind once. So you could imagine his shock when Lucy broke the news to him. But not only shock but anger as well. What the hell was that old man thinking anyway! He couldnt just break up the guild and throw them away like nothing without a reason! Many of the members had only known Fairy Tail as their home. They had spent their entire lives there and growing into the capable wizards they were, so why could Gramps take that away from them?! If he wanted out so badly, he could have said so and passed the title of Master onto someone else, not get rid of the guild!

Natsu huffed in anger, but it wasnt only anger he felt. It was guilt too. He felt guilty for leaving for an entire year and not even keeping tabs on the guild. Maybe if he was, he would have known from the beginning... Natsu turned onto his side and looked at the sleeping blue cat on the plush red pillow. Fairy Tail was all Happy knew, now it was gone and Natsu didn't know what to do.

His thoughts travelled to the sleeping blonde in the next room. His heightened hearing picked up the soft sighs she made while sleeping and he was reminded of the times he used to sneak into her bed all those months ago. If he was being honest, he missed it. He would awake sometimes while he was on his journey to wonder about Lucy. If she was doing alright, or if he should have gone to her in person to tell her he was leaving to train, maybe even take her along with him. But he couldn't do that. He didn't want to take her away from the rest of the guild. It was all she had left.

It turns out, the rest of the guild left her too. She was alone for a year and he never knew. He honestly didnt know how she could look at him at all for what he did. But even, so, he did noticed all those times in the past day that was a clear indicator she was still upset but was trying to bottle it up and brush it off. He hated to think he was the one to cause her all that pain.

Natsu pushed himself off the sofa with the stealth of a shadow and followed Lucy's scent to her bedroom. She had specifically told him not to barge into her room, but he wasn't even thinking about that.

Natsu pushed the heavy curtain that acted as her door away and let it swing back behind him. It wasn't a very adequate door if you asked him. Her room was heavily filled with her scent and Natsu found himself taking a deep breath and relishing her heavenly smell. He really missed being able to sleep in her bed whenever he wanted, even if she would yell at him for it afterwards.

The first thing that caught his eye wasn't the busty blonde that he was seeking out, but a large wall filled with pictures, maps, detailed descriptions of his fellow guildmates, pins on the maps and detailed tellings of sited Fairy Tail wizards. Some of them had a lot of detail. Guilt washed over him like a bucket of cold water. He immediately regretted asking if anyone even cared that the guild split up, obviously she had cared but still the others left her behind. He left her behind.

Natsu fisted his hands until the point his knuckles were starting to turn white and closed his eyes trying to suppress that anger that was threatening to burst out. After a few deep breaths he turned around so see Lucy sound asleep with a frown spreading across her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her forehead sported a few beads of sweat but he breathing was easy. That all changed when she began to toss and turn. The blanket fell down her body as she moved and he breathing quickened.

"N...no.. don't.. go..Natsu.." Lucy mumbled he arm reaching out as if to touch someone. Natsu's heart tightened painfully, she was having a nightmare about him leaving, she was _still _having nightmares. He didn't even stick around after Tartarous to see what Lucy thought about his year-long journey. Or how it must have affected her.

Natsu hesitantly reached out and slipped his fingers through hers. Her normal silky smooth skin of her hand felt a little sticky with sweat, but it didn't bother him. Lucy settled a little after he took her hand. Natsu kneeled and when he did, a photo of him, Happy and Lucy sat on her nightstand. All were grinning and Natsu had his arms thrown over his two best friends and partners.

A small smile graced his lips, she still had this picture of them.

The smile faded as he saw round circular spots on the photograph that looked as if it had gotten wet. She had been crying over this photo while he was oblivious and on an adventure. He always made anyone who made his friends cry pay dearly for it, but now he was the cause of her tears. Natsu balled up his fist and bowed his head so far that his newly cut bangs overshadowed his eyes.

How could he do this? How could he make her cry?

All thoughts of sleeping with her vanished. He didn't deserve to. He was about to leave when Lucy pulled his hand closer to herself and smiled in her sleep.

"You're back..." she mumbled.

Natsu melted. His hand caressed her cheek gently and brushed her bangs away from her forehead before placing a kiss upon it with a vow. He was never going to leave Lucy or make her cry again. And he was going to do everything in his power to make up for what he had done.

"And I'm back for good." Natsu assured even if she couldn't hear him.

Natsu crawled under the covers and pulled Lucy flush against his bare chest by her waist, nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck and inhaled the sweet smell of her hair. She was going to kill him in the morning for sneaking into her bed while all she had on was her underwear, but he wasn't going to worry about that right now, he just wanted to be close to her.

Lucy sighed in content and her arm and forehead rested against his chest. An old warmth she missed so much filled her body and for the first time in a year she didn't feel alone while she slept. Tears welled in her closed eyes and slipped down her cheeks, Natsu was finally back.

"I love you, Luce. I won't leave you again." he said after hearing her breathing pattern change.

"I know, Natsu... I.. love you, too." Lucy whispered sleepily back. She had woken up the moment he spoke the first time and she was glad to know he wouldn't leave her again. She was going to hold him to his promise.

Lucy was still upset about him leaving one year ago, but right now she just wanted to be close to him.

**I hope you all liked it! At least a little anyway. I would love the constructive criticism, or just tell me what you think! I love the feedback!**

**Again, check out my other story Lisanna's Lie, its up and almost done with the exception of my rewriting the earlier chapters.**

**~Star0Dragon0Slayer**


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